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MODULE 2
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STUDENT’S LIFE
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Objective: to master students’

reading skills; to develop attention and
linguistic guessing
OUR UNIVERSITY
Study without desire spoils the memory,
and it retains nothing that it takes in
Leonardo da Vinci
Warming-up
1. Work in pairs. Look at the photos. How do you think the people
feel? Do they need education and why?

Useful expressions:
Finally In addition Although To start with
On the other hand To sum up Firstly
However
Vocabulary
2. Work individually. Match the phrases (1 – 8) with pictures (a – h).
Use your dictionary to check that you understand all the phrases.
1) student membership card 4) school leaving certificate 7) cram
2) record book 5) work load 8) crib
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3) synopsis of lectures (notes) 6) graduate

a) b) c)
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d) e) f)

f) g)

Check your answers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

3. Match the following word-combinations with the definitions.

Word-combinations Definitions
1. to burn the midnight oil a) to be able to understand or deal with something
that is happening during studying
2. freshman b) to shout, dispute and argue in a class
3. to be expelled (excluded) c) to move more slowly than someone or
from the university something else so that you are behind them
4. to graduate with honors d) to sit late at night
5. to disrupt classes e) not to continue studying
6. to play truant f) a first-year student
7. to fail an exam g) to graduate with good marks
8. to keep up with the group h) to deal successfully with a difficult situation
9. to lag behind i) misses classes without any serious reason
10. to cope with j) didn’t pass the exam
4. Paraphrase the following sentences using your active
vocabulary.
Example: →Ann doesn’t keep up with the group. → Ann lags behind
the group.
1) Jo sits late at night preparing for her classes.
2) Dan constantly misses classes without any serious reason.
3) Pete failed all his exams. It’s possible that the Dean’s office will not
let him continue his studying at the university.
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4) Ivan is fond of shouting, disputing and arguing. The lecturer always
puts him bad marks for his indecent behavior.
5) Martin didn’t pass the exam yesterday.
6) The lecturer asked Steven to leave the examination test as he was
looking up words in the dictionary and it was forbidden.
7) Maria will probably graduate with good marks. She is the best
student in the group.
8) Betty is a freshman. She doesn’t know much about the university life yet.
5. Find the odd one in each set of words and word-combinations.
1) to skip classes, to miss classes, to attend classes, to play truant;
2) lecture, textbook, seminar, tutorial;
3) student membership cards, school living certificate, student record books,
library cards;
4) to be good at, to cope with, to keep up with the group, to lag behind;
5) junior, senior, graduate, sophomore, monitor.

6. Make up sentences of your own with word-combinations from

task 2.

Reading
7. Read the text and be ready to answer the questions after it.
OUR UNIVERSITY
I study at Zhytomyr State Technological
University. It was founded in 1960 as the Zhytomyr
General Technical Faculty of Kyiv Polytechnic
Institute. In 2003, the Institute was reorganized into
Zhytomyr State Technological University. Its structure includes five
faculties: the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering; the Faculty of Information
and Computer Technology; the Faculty of Economics and managEment; the
Faculty of Mining and Ecology; the Faculty of Accounting and Finance.
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The Faculty of Preliminary Training and the Faculty of
Specialists' Retraining were established as important elements of the system of
continuous education.
Almost 7 thousand students of full-time and part-time forms of training
study at ZSTU in 17 specialities. The University provides training leading to
the degrees of Bachelor, Specialist (engineers, economists, managers) and
Master. The duration of training is 4 years to get Bachelor's degree and 5
years to get Specialist's (Master's degree). The students of the University
have the possibility to study two specialities simultaneously and to get two
diplomas: the first one in the selected engineering speciality and the second
one in economics or management.
There are two halls of residence, a refectory available at the university.
There is a gym, tennis courts and a stadium at the University as well. The
library and its own publishing department allow the University to provide
students with educational and methodological literature. ZSTU has its own
website in the Ukrainian and English languages. Local computer network is
connected to the internet. The electronic versions of some textbooks are
located on the University server.
In 1994, a post-graduate course was founded for training scientific
personnel, and since then a lot of theses have been defended.
“The journal of Zhytomyr State Technological University” is regularly
issued. It is included into the list of scientific editions where the basic results of
theses in technical sciences and economics can be published according to the
decision of the Highest Certifying Commission of Ukraine.
ZSTU pays special attention to the strengthening of the international
cooperation. It is a member of numerous international organizations.
8. Answer the following questions
1) When was our University founded?
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2) What faculties does the University consist of?
3) What forms of training are there at ZSTU?
4) What do you know about the extra-curricular activities of our students?
5) Who is the rector of our University (the dean of your faculty)?
9. Read the text and be ready to do task after the text.
UNIVERSITY LIFE
It’s useful to know that…

 a freshman – is a first-year student

 a sophomore – is a second-year student
 a junior – is a third-year student
 a senior – is someone who is in the last year at university or high school
 an alumna (pl. -nае ) – is a former female student of a college or university
 an alumnus (pl. -ni) – is a former male student of a college or university
 major – is a chief or special subject studied by a student at a university

The merry-go-round of college life is something that one never forgets.

It’s a fascinating, fantastic, fabulous experience, irrespective of the fact
whether one is a full-time or a part-time student.
Who can forget the first day at the university when one turns from an
applicant into a first-year student? “…I did it! I entered, I got into the
university!” A solemn ceremony in front of the university building and serious
people making speeches.“- Hey, lad, do you happen to know who they are?
Who? The rector, vice-rectors, deans, sub deans... And what about those
ladies? Heads of departments and senior lecturers? Okay. Some of them must
be professors, some assistant professors. And where are our lecturers and
tutors? Oh, how nice...”
Monitors hand out student membership cards, student record books and
library cards – one feels like real person. First celebrations and then days of hard
work. So many classes, so many new subjects to put on the timetable! The
curriculum seems to be developed especially for geniuses. Lectures, seminars
and tutorials. Home preparations; a real avalanche of home assignments.
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If one can not cope with the work load of college he or she immediately
starts lagging behind. It is easier to keep pace with the program than to catch
up with it later. Everyone tries hard to be, or at least to look, diligent. First
quizzes, tests and examination sessions. The first successes and first failures:
“I have passed!” or “He has not given me a pass!” Tears and smiles. …And
a long-awaited vacation.
The merry-go-round runs faster. Assignments, course papers,
compositions, module test papers, presentations. Papers checked up and
marked. – Professor, I have never played truant, I had a good excuse for
missing classes!”. Works handed in and handed out. Reading up for exams.
“No, professor, I have never cheated — no cribs. I just crammed!”
Junior students become senior. Still all of them are one family –
undergraduates. Students’ parties in the students’ clubs. Meeting people and
parting with people.
– You know, Nora is going to be expelled! – Really?! Oh… And have
you heard Dora is going to graduate with honors?”.
Yearly essays, graduation dissertations, finals...
10. Match the underlined words in the text with definitions given
below:
a) something dishonest that makes people believe that smth is true when
it is not;
b) to give something to each person in a group or place;
c) careful and using a lot of efforts;
d) a person who formally requests something, especially a job, or to
study at a college or university;
e) the subjects studied in a school, college, etc. and what each subject
includes;
f) a short informal test;
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g) a period of study with a tutor involving one student or a small group;
h) an event where a successful student receives academic degree.
Writing
11. Write a letter about pros and cons studying online for students.
Below you have text about studying online for children.
11 Peremohy Street
Zhytomyr, Ukraine 10020
February 17
Dear Tom,
How are you? I’m fine. I would like to tell you about pros and cons of studying
online.
Online learning is becoming more popular today as more people have access to
computers and the Internet. Indeed, there are those who believe that computers will
replace classrooms in the near future.
It is true that there are a number of advantages to learning online. One, you can
study whenever you choose and you can find a wealth of information on the Internet.
And, lessons do not last for a limited length of time. So, teachers can answer
any questions you may have in greater detail.
But, there are a number of disadvantages. To begin, online students can not
share and discuss ideas in the way they do in a classroom.
Also, the equipment needed is expensive and information on the Internet is not
always accurate. Finally, working on your own requires a lot of self-discipline which
young children in particular do not have.
In conclusion, I believe that even if learning online has some advantages, the
disadvantages outweigh them. In my opinion, children will always learn best when
they are in a classroom with a real live teacher.
Write me soon.
Love,
Kate
Introduction (Part 1) What is the topic?
Main Body (Parts 2, 3) What Are the pros/cons? What are the reasons to support them?
Conclusion (Part 4) What is your opinion?

Speaking
12. Think about your answers to these questions.
1) Are you a full-time or part-time student?
2) What subject(s) are you studying?
3) Why did you choose this/these subject(s)? Which topic/subject do
you find the most difficult/interesting?
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4) What do you plan to do when you finish studying?
5) Is there anything else you would like to study in the future?
13. Describe a teacher that had a positive influence on you. You
should say:
 what subject this teacher taught
 how long he/she was your teacher
 what positive attributes this teacher had
and explain why you remember this teacher in particular.
14. Work with a partner. Use the words below to talk about student’s life.
Comment the quote “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to
change the world” (Nelson Mandela)

foundation to pass an exam to strive to to appreciate experience

to be proud of smth. higher educational institution to succeed to be
engaged in
15. Tell about your attitude towards the following things. Discuss
which activities you consider to be difficult and which ones – easy.
Compare your answers with those of other students in the class.
Example: I find talking about things that don’t interest me boring.
I find writing long tests annoying.
attending lectures (seminars, classes)
taking notes boring
writing essays embarrassing
participating in group discussions confusing
missing classes exciting
I find cheating (at exams and tests) annoying
taking / failing examinations worrying
translating from Ukrainian into English and amusing
vice versa challenging
Home project
16. Imagine you are an editor of the magazine for teenagers and
young adults and you are going to publish series of articles about
student’s behaviour. The name of the article: "Code of Conduct at Your
English Classes". You should consider the parts as follows:
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 For a student it’s forbidden to…
 For a student it’s allowed to…
 Students must…